Healthy hats protect from the sun

It's summertime. We all want to be outside as much as we can, because before you know it, the days will be short and the ground will be covered with snow.

While getting about 20 minutes of sun each day is important for our vitamin D levels, too much sun can lead to painful burns and risks of skin cancer. One simple -- and fashionable -- way to protect yourself is by wearing a hat.

Healthy Hats is a great place to start shopping for the perfect sun protection. Besides offering lifeguard hats and adventurer hats (think safari), they've got sun smart tips to help you enjoy the sun safely.

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Help stave off the 'sickness for all seasons'

When winter is in full force, you almost expect to catch a few colds. But, with August temperatures reaching the upper 80s on an almost daily basis, a sniffle in the summer seems altogether unusual -- not to mention unfair. Nevertheless, as evidenced by a pretty nasty three-day man cold I got hammered with back in early July, it's abundantly clear colds -- though more prevalent during colder months -- are a sickness for all seasons. Fortunately, there are some dietary steps we can take target-harden ourselves against illness. Here are just a few I felt were worth mentioning. Yogurt - A study showed that people who ate three-quarters of a cup of yogurt daily for a year had 25 percent fewer colds than those who didn't. Because it contains probiotics, yogurt helps strengthen the immune system. Red Bell Pepper - With 130mg more vitamin C than an orange, red bell pepper is a great source for this cold-fighting nutrient. Eggs - High in B vitamins, zinc, and amino acids, eggs boost wh...

Measurable progress

One of the best ways to stay motivated in your workout is to know that you are getting results. In some cases, however, change is not always noticeable in the first month or so. The scale may show a slight improvement, and you may feel more vigor in your daily routine, but your body may unfortunately still looks the same. But looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to body fat. That's where a simple, two dollar measuring tape can make all the difference. Measure the circumference of your waist at the belly button. If the number you're looking at is smaller than it was last month, that probably means that you've already changed pants size by lowering your amount of body fat. Check your arms, chest, legs, and back, and you'll likely find similar results. Because you lose fat from all over (rather than in individual areas of the body), it can sometimes be difficult to observe change with your eyes, but the tape doesn't miss an inch.

Would you buy your child a treadmill?

Would you want your kid running on a treadmill to stay fit? More importantly, would your kid be interested in running in one place? One toy manufacturer says yes to both questions and has developed a couple of new fitness products designed with little ones in mind -- Fitness Fun's My Treadmil l and Glide-a-Stride . But the exercise machines are causing quite a stir, according to Boston.com . On one hand, something has to be done to combat childhood obesity and inactivity. On the other? Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston, says, "We have to remember that children are not just little adults. Kids' bodies and their minds are not designed to spend 20 minutes on a treadmill. [This] reflects, I think, a misguided mentality, where we're trying to make physical activity for children a commodity rather than a natural integrated part of their lives." (You can read more of the debate here .) A few decades ago, ki...

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